Truth
by FyreGypsy
Summary: Chloe returns home after five years to find out the truth...wow that's a bad summary. Anyway, it's a C/C fic. Reviews encouraged!!!!
1. Prologue/Chapter 1

Hi! This is my first fanfic ever, so if it sucks, sorry. Umm…This is a C/C fic, but there's plenty of angst/drama before any romance. It's rated R for later chapters, which'll probably include a bit o' smut. But for now, it's really more PG-13. Reviews are always welcome, remember I'm new at this! Creative criticism or whatever…  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or any of the characters in this story, except for Amy O'Connor. So please don't sue me, cause if you did, all you'd get is about 27 bucks, a tv, and a ferret named Lucy.  
  
  
  
1 Prologue  
  
Five years…Five years since she left this place left her friends and her loved ones behind her, all in a desperate attempt to escape. She wasn't even sure why she left really. Just an inexplicable need to get out, to run from something that was threatening to overpower her in its magnitude. After her father died her senior year of high school, she just couldn't stand to be here anymore. Not when they looked at her with a mixture of pity and disdain in their eyes. She tried to be strong, tried to hold her head up in spite of what they were saying. She knew the truth. No matter what they said about her, and about what happened, she knew the truth. And, at one time, she thought that someone else did too. That someone with his bright blue eyes and trusting smile. And then, when he began to doubt her as well…  
  
But that was five years in the past. And now she was coming back, to fix things, to make things right as she should have done so many years before.  
  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
As she pulled off of the Interstate to exit 43, Chloe Sullivan looked over at the sign welcoming her home again and sighed. She hadn't been back to Smallville in the five years since her father had died, and a part of her wondered why she was even bothering to come back now, after all this time.  
  
It's because I have to know the truth. Of what really happened the night that Dad died…And let's face it Sullivan, you want to see HIM again.  
  
Aggravated with her self, Chloe let out a frustrated sigh and push her hand through her newly darkened hair. As much as she wanted to find the answers to the puzzle, she didn't want to clue anyone else into the fact that she had returned. So, a little makeover was in order. After dying her hair from its normal blond to a deep auburn, and changing her eye color from green to golden brown, she thought that no one would recognize her as the previous Chloe Sullivan, the over-caffeinated and pushy former editor of her high school newspaper.  
  
"Ya know, if you keep that up Sully, you're gonna end up pulling your hair out. And no offense, but you'd look really shitty with a bald head."  
  
Chloe removed her eyes from the road long enough to give her companion a baleful glare. Amy O'Connor was Chloe's roommate from New York University, and also her best friend. She was a New Yorker to the core, with a tough as nails attitude until you got to know her. She was with Chloe not only as moral support, but also as her partner in crime.  
  
"You didn't have to come with me Ames. You could've taken the other assignment that Perry offered."  
  
"I'm aware of that, but I figured that you needed me here. After all, who else are you gonna yell at when you get all frustrated? But besides that, I want to help. And Perry giving us this assignment on the Luthor Corp's Fraud scandal was the perfect cover to come back here and help you get the answers you need."  
  
"We still have to write that article though. My troubles are only a side note." Chloe replied, glancing behind her to change lanes.  
  
"If you say so Sully."  
  
"And about that, you can't call me Sully while we're here. Someone will be bound to pick up on it sooner or later, and figure out who I really am, clever disguise and all. So you have to call me by my pen name."  
  
"I know, I know. Where on earth did you come up with Lois Lane anyway?"  
  
"Lane is my middle name, and Lois was my mother's first name. I figured they fit together nicely." Although Chloe wondered occasionally if her subconscious didn't play a part in her choice of a pen name.  
  
**We can't all be raven haired with the initials L.L.**  
  
"Right…Alright then, Lois Lane it is. Do I get to have an alias too?" Amy looked over at Chloe all wide eyed and excited, and Chloe couldn't help but give out a slight giggle.  
  
"Why do you need one, no one knows you here!" Amy just pouted out her lower lip and Chloe sighed again. "Fine, you can have an alias if you really want one. God, you're making it seem like we're secret agents or something. I just want to find out the truth."  
  
Amy looked at her friend who had gone quiet at the last part of her sentence. She leaned over and placed her hand on Chloe's arm, and said reassuringly, "We'll get the truth Chlo, I'm sure of it."  
  
Chloe turned onto the main road leading into downtown Smallville and replied, "I hope you're right." 


	2. Chapter Two

Hi! This is my first fanfic ever, so if it sucks, sorry. Umm…this is a C/C fic, but there's plenty of angst/drama before any romance. Its rated R for later chapters, which'll probably include a bit o' smut. But for now, its really more PG-13. Reviews are always welcome; remember I'm new at this! Creative criticism or whatever…  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or any of the characters in this story, except for Amy O'Connor. So please don't sue me, cause if you did, all you'd get is about 27 bucks, a TV, and a ferret named Lucy.  
  
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5 Chapter Two  
  
Clark Kent slowly walked up the stairs of the barn into his fortress of solitude and plopped down onto the dusty couch. It had been awhile since he'd sat up here and thought about the state of his life. After college, he moved into an apartment downtown, but he still came to the farm on weekends to help his parents out. There were other times though, times when the past caught up with him, that he needed to escape to the sanctuary of his barn loft. Now was one of those times.  
  
~ I can't believe that Sam assigned me the Luthor Corp story. What was he thinking? ~  
  
Clark was nervous about seeing Lex again. Even though it was occasionally his job as a Features Reporter at the Smallville Ledger to write about the Luthor Corporation and its business, he never interviewed Lex himself. In fact, the last time they had spoken wasn't long after Chloe had left. He thought that Lex knew why she ran, and when he confronted Lex about the whole ordeal, Lex immediately told him to ignore the whole situation and basically forget that Chloe had ever existed. And for a small while, Clark took his advice.  
  
~ And I was a moron for doing so. She tried to talk to me, tried to confide in me, and I just turned her away like everyone else had done. All to save myself from pain. And now… ~  
  
Now Chloe was nowhere to be found. Clark used all of his journalistic resources this past year to try to find her again, so he could talk to her, and tell her that he was sorry. It was amazing how things seem so much more precious after they're gone. After she walked out of his life five years ago, Clark slowly came to realize just how much she had meant to him. Even after they had dated during their sophomore year, Clark failed to realize just how much he loved her. And when she needed him the most, he abandoned her, just like all of the others.  
  
A shrill ringing shook him out of his reverie, and Clark flipped his cell open.  
  
"Clark Kent."  
  
"Kent!" Sam Williamson's voice boomed over the receiver. Sam was Editor-In- Chief of the Smallville Ledger. "Kent, I need you to get over to the office now. You've got a partner on your story now. Actually, two. Some hot shot from the Planet and her groupie." In the background, Clark thought he heard an enraged huffing sound.  
  
"No offense sir, but I don't need a partner. I've always worked alone."  
  
~ Except when you worked with Chloe. ~  
  
"Doesn't matter. You've got a partner now. So get down here." When he was about to reply, Clark heard the dial tone buzz in his ear and sighed. Stretching his long legs out, he got up off the couch and prepared to meet his new partner. 


	3. Chapter Three

Hi! This is my first fanfic ever, so if it sucks, sorry. Umm…this is a C/C fic, but there's plenty of angst/drama before any romance. Its rated R for later chapters, which'll probably include a bit o' smut. But for now, its really more PG-13. Reviews are always welcome; remember I'm new at this! Creative criticism or whatever…  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or any of the characters in this story, except for Amy O'Connor. So please don't sue me, cause if you did, all you'd get is about 27 bucks, a TV, and a ferret named Lucy.  
  
  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Really Mr. Williamson, my partner and I are perfectly capable of handling this assignment on our own. The only real reason why we stopped here was because Perry requested that we do so and…" Chloe was cut off at the sound of the door opening. She tensed slightly; feeling his presence before she even visually confirmed that he was near her.  
  
"Sorry about the wait. Traffic was hell." Clark didn't add that he was also held up stopping a quick mugging a few blocks away from the building.  
  
"No problem Kent, no problem at all." Sam's voice boomed throughout the room. He always had a penchant for being loud in order to command the attention of everyone around him. "Kent, this is Lois Lane, she's a reporter for the Daily Planet."  
  
Chloe slowly turned in her seat to look up at him for the first time. Just the sight of him took her breath away, like it always did all those years ago. His curly black hair was slightly mussed, probably from his running his fingers through it, like he always did when he was nervous or agitated. His charcoal gray slacks and slate blue shirt only made his eyes stand out even more than usual. He was beautiful as always. Slowly, she got up and took the hand offered to her.  
  
"Mr. Kent, it's very nice to meet you."  
  
"Please, call me Clark."  
  
"Alright…Clark. This is my partner…"  
  
Amy chose that moment to get out of her angry pout from being called a "groupie" to grasp Clark's hand enthusiastically. "Michaela Rose Josephine Amelia Danielson. But you can call me Kay."  
  
Chloe groaned slightly under her breath. ~ This is what she meant by an alias? I should've known better… ~  
  
Clark just smiled and returned Amy's handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Kay."  
  
"So, now that introductions are over with, everyone sit down and we'll discuss what's going to happen." Chloe and Amy returned to their chairs, with Clark taking the seat closest to Chloe. Chloe breathed in Clark's cologne and tried not to sigh. What was that scent?  
  
"Alright, so as you all know, the Luthor Corporation has been in the midst of a scandal. After Lionel Luthor's…umm… death last month, questions have been raised as to whether or not Lex Luthor was involved. In addition to this, rumors of insurance fraud and employee embezzlement have been running rampant. You three are to investigate all aspects of this scandal."  
  
"Mr. Williamson," Sam paused for a moment allowing Amy to speak, " I was under the impression that the Metropolis Police Department had already concluded that there was no foul play involved in Lionel Luthor's death."  
  
"Be that as it may, there are still questions left to be answered. And that's where you three come in. Ms. Lane, you'll be partnered with Clark on the possible embezzlements as well as on Lex Luthor's innocence."  
  
"Mr. Williamson…"  
  
"Sam. Call me Sam, everyone else does."  
  
"Sam, if the Metropolis PD have already cleared Mr. Luthor of his father's murder, then there's no point in re-opening old wounds. In addition, there are questions as to the validity of the embezzlement rumors."  
  
"Well Ms. Lane, it's your job to find out whether the rumors are valid or not. And although it has been stated that there was no foul play involved in Lionel Luthor's death, the Metropolis PD have been known to occasionally take bribes in exchange for silence on certain facts."  
  
"Sam," Clark interjected, "It seems to me like we're getting in gear for a libel suit against the Ledger."  
  
"Kent, you know that we don't print anything we can't prove. So you need to go out there and prove it so we can print it."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Excuse me, but what am I going to be doing while those two are off playing Ozzie and Harriet?" Amy asked.  
  
"You, Ms. Danielson, will be working on the insurance fraud angle. Mostly paper work to look through and all that."  
  
"Wonderful…"Amy mumbled. Chloe glanced over and met her eyes, and Amy just shrugged. "Well then, I'll go right now and make some calls, see what I can see. Lois, I'm sure you and Clark need to get better acquainted since you'll be working so closely together."  
  
If looks could kill, then the one that Chloe sent Amy would have had her dead and on her back in a second. 


	4. Chapter Four

Hi! This is my first fanfic ever, so if it sucks, sorry. Umm…this is a C/C fic, but there's plenty of angst/drama before any romance. Its rated R for later chapters, which'll probably include a bit o' smut. But for now, its really more PG-13. Reviews are always welcome; remember I'm new at this! Creative criticism or whatever…  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or any of the characters in this story, except for Amy O'Connor. So please don't sue me, cause if you did, all you'd get is about 27 bucks, a TV, and a ferret named Lucy.  
  
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Chapter Four  
  
"So, is there any place around this leafy little hamlet to get a decent cup of coffee?"  
  
"Caffeine nut?" Chloe smiled a bit in response. Clark laughed and said, "I think I know of a place."  
  
They made their way down the street to the Talon. "Ladies first." Clark said as he opened the door for Chloe to enter.  
  
"Thank you." Chloe looked around her, reliving old memories. It came to her as somewhat of a shock to see a very familiar raven-haired girl behind the counter.  
  
"Hi Clark!"  
  
"Lana, hi, how are you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm fine. Been a bit hectic today, but nothing I can't handle." Lana flashed Clark a grin that he returned. Chloe wanted to laugh and scream at the same time.  
  
~ DOES THIS EVER END? I've been gone five years and he still gets googly- eyed when he talks to her. ARGH!! ~  
  
Lana then turned to Chloe, "Hi, my name's Lana Lang. I'm a friend of Clark's."  
  
It struck Chloe then that Lana was expecting an introduction of the same nature. "Umm…hi, I'm Lois Lane. I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet."  
  
"Really? So, what brings you to Smallville?" Was it just Chloe's imagination, or was Lana looking at her strangely?  
  
"I'm here to investigate into the Luthor Corp employee embezzlement scandal."  
  
"Oh…sounds exciting."  
  
"I suppose so." The three just stood there for a moment or so, and Clark was the first to recover.  
  
"Yeah, well, we'd better order. I'll take a large hot chocolate. Lois?"  
  
Chloe shook herself a bit and placed her order. "I'll have a tall mocha latte please."  
  
"Alright, I'll bring them over to your table when they're ready."  
  
"Thank you." Clark led Chloe to a booth towards the front of the restaurant.  
  
"So Clark, what all do you know about the embezzlement allegations?"  
  
"Well, this isn't the first time that allegations like this have been made. About five years ago, Luthor Corp accused one of their Smallville Plant managers of embezzling over a hundred thousand dollars. But before any formal investigations began, he took his own life." Clark paused momentarily, and noticed that Lois was staring down into their table, not really listening to him. "Lois? Lois, are you alright?"  
  
Chloe took a deep breath and removed her eyes from the table to look at him. "Yeah Clark, I'm fine. I suppose I'm just tired from the drive."  
  
"Are you sure that's all it is?"  
  
"Absolutely." Just then, Lana brought their drinks over. Chloe accepted hers with a small nod, and Clark thanked her. Lana took her place back behind the counter, all the while keeping an eye on Lois and Clark. There was just something about Lois that seemed vaguely familiar…  
  
"So, Lois, where are you going to be staying while you're here?"  
  
"Amy and I…"  
  
"Amy?" Chloe realized her mistake and backtracked quickly.  
  
"Amy is my nickname for Kay. You know, from Amelia."  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
"Anyway, Amy and I are staying in a house about five minutes out of town on County Road 350. We've rented it for the summer."  
  
"My parents own a farm not far from there."  
  
"Kent Farm, I saw the sign while I was driving. The house that I've rented is about ¼ mile from your parents farm."  
  
"Really? Well, if that's the case, I might have to drop in sometime." Clark smiled at her and watched as she smiled back then returned her eyes to her latte. While she was occupied, he took a moment to really study his companion. She seemed to be the direct opposite of her partner. Her auburn hair glistened as bits of sunlight flowed through the windows onto its strands. And there was something about her eyes that seemed familiar to him somehow. Even though he had never met her, he felt incredibly comfortable around her. He hadn't felt this comfortable around anyone since Chloe had left. Chloe…  
  
Suddenly, Clark heard a scream pierce the air. He saw Lois pick her head up at his sudden tensing and looked at him curiously.  
  
"Clark? Clark, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing! Nothing, I just remembered that I have a meeting that I have to go to. I'm sorry Lois, here's money for the coffee, I'll get ahold of you later."  
  
Chloe just sat open mouthed at the once occupied seat in front of her.  
  
~ I HATE it when he does that. ~ 


End file.
